Puzzled as to what exactly is going on, Anumil remains hidden. Sunny seems to have an idea; he'd back her up.
The still-charmed duergar replies to Sunny... "He asked who I was with.. told him you were a new ally."
He then calls over to the lighter duergar with his captive human..
"At ease, daywalker... can relax sword. We will come over."
The "daywalker" duergar shrugs and moves his swordpoint from the manacled man's belly, but does not sheathe it.
Sunny happily splashes about in the waters of the river...Then, after a possibly stern look from her possibly very wet 'Friend', calms down a little and helps others across.
Sunny's friend starts to go under - in spite of Sunny's efforts to assist. The duergar on the far shore starts to reflexively move forward to assist, remembers his captive and pushes him to the ground.
"You get up I stab you dead, human."
He then sheathes his sword and rushes to give a hand to his struggling kinsman. He gets a firm grasp, and it appears he will be able to get him safely to shore in just a few moments.
"Eeek!" Sunny exclaims, shocked as her friend has trouble with the waters.
She struggles valiantly in trying to save her friend.
Anumil carefully reloads his crossbow, keeping an eye on Sunny and warily watching out for an ambush.
"A lil' help here!" Sunny calls, still trying to save her 'friend'.
Sunny seems to have things well in hand. You see no sign of additional hidden foes.
As Sunny and the two duergars make it to the far bank, the platform rises again... this time with your allies from below.
The black arrow militia man held captive immediately reaches for the daywalker duergar's weapon before he can become a bargaining chip. He calls out to those just arriving.
"Osmail! Good to see you!"
The militia secures the daywalker duergar (and tolerates Sunny's friend).
The man held captive immediately pulls Skurn Osmail aside. Skurn stops him after a moment and indicates the group with a gesture. "These people were fellow captives, and led us out. They should be included in this. This is Bruener."
Bruener nods - only slightly put off by the delay in debriefing.
Sunny takes her time helping her friend recover from his encounter with the rive.
Patting him on the back, rubbing his shoulders and generally being soothing to tha' poor feller as he recovers from tha' ordeal. (^_^)
Anumil comes out of cover and saunters on over to where Skurn and Sunny are, crossbow over one shoulder.
"Glad you could make it to the party. Looks like the surface isn't quite a safe as we'd hoped."
Bruener shakes his head. "No it isn't. We were lured out here. It was Osmail's call, but he was following my counsel."
Skurn Osmail clarifies... "We sent men to investigate abductions in West Schulfjarn. They went missing, so we sent more... leaving Fort Birch undermanned. Bruener has now informed me it has, in fact fallen."
He unfurls a >map< to show the locations to which he refers.
Bruener then adds, "I took men back to the fort when the hidden entrance was discovered. We found those left behind hanged on the outskirts. We turned back and fled as orcs from East Schulfjarn came after us... Blood God cultists I'd guess."
"Night fell by the time we returned. Flaming skeletons burst from the ground when we lit our lanterns... killed all but two of us. A few of these duergars got to us less just after daybreak. We got two of em, but Durid fell and I was knocked unconscious."
your duergar friend makes a full recovery. He seems a little upset with his fellow duergar that he had to go and make trouble for your allies.
Anumil frowns as he studies the map.
"Where are WE on this map?"
"Here." He points to the area labelled Sleeping Ferry.
"That burned-out building and pier is what is left of it."
"We have twenty men stationed at the Lowland Towers. It might be a good idea to head there."
"Or we could move along the river... make our way to West Schulfjarn. Our half-orc comrades here have said we could likely recruit allies there before moving on to reclaim Fort Birch."
Sunny does her best to sooth her friend's ire,
"They's prolly jus' some un-comunication a'tween folks."
Anumil grins.
"Well then. I like the idea of moving up the river to West Schulfjarn; find some allies, find out what happened to the scouts there, etc."
He arches an eyebrow at Sunny.
"What do you think?"
Sunny ruffles her wings, seeming startled/distracted by Anumil's question,
"Huh? Whut? Oh, aye. Meetin' new peoples be all'a ways a great thing." She smiles in reply.
Anumil looks at Skurn.
"Well Captain, want to come with us? Should be interesting if nothing else."
"I would... Bruener... lead our men to the Lowland Towers."
Bruener nods and begins readying the militia.
"We will have the half-orcs as a reserve unit on the way to their homes in West Schulfjarn. With luck, the allies we find will have a little better idea what is afoot here."
He inspects his armor and orcish blade, then dons a borrowed hooded cloak... "I am ready for travel."
He looks to Sunny "Your friend here... " He glances to the others then to the charmed duergar. "Is he to accompany us?"
Sunny gently outs her arms and wings around her friend,
"Aye. Why wouldn't he be doin' so?" She asks defensively.
Anumil nods and sheathes his sword.
"Alright then. If there's nothing here to occupy our time, I guess we should start marching."
He gives one last glance around and starts walking in the direction the map indicated.
"Very well..." Skurn follows close behind Anumil. "These events are certainly troubling. Varisia is known to have more than it share of ancient ruins, but I am having a little difficulty - to think this underground complex has been here all this time..."
You walk along the wide slow-moving river. The ground goes from rocky to marshy to encroached by the woods, but not difficult enough to make traveling through the forest a preferred path.
Skurn negotiates the terrain with ease, but his thoughts are elsewhere... he shows no signs of keeping an eye out for trouble.
After a few minutes he speaks. His words are deliberate as if rehearsed... they way someone talks when they feel they must keep emotion at bay.
"You are not from this area... I will give you some background."
"The grandfather of the current Mayor of Doyle's Run started a lumber business here over a hundred years ago. The tree farm and mill bought workers... He built a village for them."
"A little over thirty years ago there was a flood of half-orc refugees - several settlements had been razed far to the north. Doyle's father made a deal with their leader. Schulfjarn was built to house them... in return for a sizable workforce of cheap laborers."
"There were troubles... some were not willing to work, and some full-blooded orcs moved in. That is how we came about. Fort Birch was funded by Doyle, and manned by the growing Black Arrow Militia from Fort Rankin."
"West Schulfjarn does most of its own policing, and keeps the peace in East Schulfjarn. Other than patrolling the outskirts and surrounding woods, the Black Arrow are mostly there to assist. We only get involved in large uprisings or particularly disruptive offensives."
Anumil pauses.
"I myself am elf-blooded. Will we be welcome there? Or would we do well to avoid the place?"
Sunny walks along with her friends, newly found and old, with the occasional 'skip' in her step.
She enjoys the warmth of the sun on her skin, though she is mindful of her close friend's needs and keeps him some what shaded with an extended wing held above him as often/long as she can.
(^_^)
Skurn looks back to the group of Half-orcs you are leading back home. "A week ago there would be no issue whatsoever in West Schulfjarn, and would get little more than dirty looks in the slums... now..." He slows and shrugs. "I suppose those who would be our allies will welcome anyone willing and able to assist them..."
Skurn walks beside Anumil - smiles watching the odd winged girl with her charmed dark dwarf. "... and if you need any help making friends... " he gestures to Sunny.
After a few moments he takes a look at Anumil and his gear... "You have been among humans for a while?"
SUnny smiles in return to Skurn asking,
"Whut were it that happened a week ago?"
Anumil turns an amused glance in Skurn's direction.
"Only a few decades, mostly spent in service to a Taldane nobleman. How about yourself?"
His eyes grew distant.
"Come to think of it, most of my entire adult life."
He shakes his head at the thought.
"I wonder, Sir Skurn, if by chance you have come across a man named Holfstedt Moranni? I am very interested in making his acquaintance."
"A week ago, things were relatively normal, Miss. Then all of a sudden... violent uprisings, ritualistic killings, abductions..."
He nods listening to Anumil "I'd say that sounds like a fair start for your adult life. I was a bit of a scofflaw as a youth... got into some trouble, and was sent to serve at Fort Rankin. When my time was up, I stayed on for a while... transferred to Fort Birch twelve years ago."
Skurn shakes his head at the mention of the name.
"Don't believe I have."
After a few minutes, he glances at a distinctively gnarled tree along the river. "We are about a mile away..."
You continue north along the river for some time.
"Schulfarn will be in sight just ahead..."
He nods to indicate the rise on the left bank of the river ahead of you. You can see enough blue sky and sunlit green through the bordering woods northwest of you to determine there is a sizable clearing ahead.
You hear a rumbling ahead, and a slight tremor under your feet.
You hear the shouting of commands ahead as well, and the smell of turned soil.
Anumil waves a caution gesture to his companions and stealthily approaches the clearing.
Sunny looks up, spreading her wings to shield herself briefly from the day;s sun,
"Here....were that sounds of a storm...?" She asks, even as she scans the skies for signs of clouds. Settling a wing over her friend, she continues on into the clearing unperturbed and unawares.
There is much to see over the rise, and likely little time to take it all in before you are spotted.
Nearest to you is the frame and first floor of a wooden tower under construction. A large, bald, and beefy humanoid growls...
"Back to ... wull be digger's "
The half-dozen workers are half-orcs - who happen to be in leg chains - appear to be distracted by a giant mole creature surfacing just to the east of them. A fetish-festooned orc in red robes stands at the edge of the hole being made by the mole-thing.
North of that, several red-armored orcs watch over another group of laborers. They are moving crates of tools toward and down into a larger hole in the ground.
Two huge mounds of dirt - about 10 feet high, are on either side of this larger hole.
*** *** ***
You see the settlement of West Schulfjarn further ahead... maybe a third of a mile. The buildings are all similar in size, shape, and hue of wood. There is smoke spouting from a few locations within the village - though none appear to be from rampant blazes.
*** *** ***
Sunny's charmed duergar puts a hand on her shoulder as if to urge caution...
Though his crossbow is loaded, he looks ahead and frowns - looking reluctant.
Skurn sees Sunny walk ahead and hurriedly signals for your half-orc reserve to move up.
Skurn scrambles up by Anumil - staying low and behind the trees.
"I don't know if the young lady has a plan, but... We will follow your lead."
He glances back to the eight orc escapees currently accompanying you.
Anumil quietly backs away and maneuvers around to talk to Sunny.
"Did you see all that?"
Sunny freezes as the panorama before registers.
"Okeys.... I think I wan'a thunk about this a lil'."
Anumil thinks seriously about the tactical situation, his experience as a soldier guiding him.
As you take a moment under cover, you hear the construction resume. There is another rumbling which quickly fades...
This is not a routine situation for you. Little comes to mind.
Perhaps if you were able to watch them for a while...
You hear someone say "Interesting... but no. Keep searching." right before the fading rumble.
Sunny carefully looks around for whom ever was talking.
"We's got'a help them poor folks..." Sunny mutters.
"Tha' way they's beein' treated? In't right, offerin' ta' let some one become some beasties snack."
"From what I overheard, they're looking for something." Anumil quietly shares with his allies.
"I can't see any way to defeat the slavers and/or free the slaves. Let's keep our forces hidden while we observe them for a while, see if there are any patterns of behavior we can take advantage of."
The work continues... the robed figure idly strolls around, and away from the hole where the mole-thing entered the ground.
The guards keep their attention mostly on the workers... and when they do look around, they spend most of their scan on the north horizon - the settlement of West Schulfjarn.
The robed orc speaks with the large fellow. You only hear the response...
"No excuses. You have until sundown to clear this area of bone seeds. To make sure you do good job, will hold torch when darkness comes."
Sunny frowns where she is hiding in the bushes/shrubs with her friends,
"Any one got any ideas how ta' get at that feller who's maybe keepin' tha' big digger as a pet?" She asks.
Anumil shakes his head.
"Not offhand. We could perhaps blitz him and take him down quickly, but we would certainly be surrounded and overwhelmed."
He looks around at his companions.
"Do any of us have anything like thunderstones, alchemist's fire, Desnan candles; anything that could be used to create a remote distraction?"
Several minutes previously, in West Schulfjarn...
Gordrun arrives and the streets are empty. He comes across a couple smouldering remains of what appear to be destroyed barricades in the streets' center.
When he nears the middle of the settlement, he sees the red-armored troops - almost too late. They appear to be going door-to-door pulling half-orcs from their homes and businesses, and forcing them into sorted groups.
The armored troops nearest Gordrun - with their backs to him reach a storefront. "Mmm... Helga's. Maybe leave her for others..."
The troop in front of Helga's yet to speak subtly slipped a note under the door without the other troop noticing.
Gordrun then sees additional troops - a patrol perhaps - coming his way from the adjacent alley, and ducks into the shop before he is seen.
The other - slightly less brutish troop speaks up. "No. We are to take her to Migthwet's stooge at the dig site."
"What is tooge?"
The majority of the orcs from East Schulfjarn have given you little trouble. The worst of them - followers of the Blood God usually pay you no mind. Tangling with them leads to an escalation... people die...
Looking out your window to see what this new ruckus outside might be, you see red-armored orcs pulling your neighbors from their businesses.
A note is slipped under your door.
It reads... "The Blood God cult has been emboldened by the fall of Fort Birch. You will not be safe for long. I will protect you from this... One of the guards coming for you now works for me. Once the time is right, you will be told everything you need to know."
Just as you finish reading the unsigned note, Gordrun enters and shuts the door behind.
The door begins to open again. Two orcish soldiers in red-lacquered armor stand in the doorway. One glances back before speaking - as if to make sure plenty of back-up was within sight. "No trouble. You come with us." He still tries to maintain an imposing stance....
The other adds... "Gather all the supplies you can... we don't know what might be required of you." He turns to Gordrun. "Perhaps you could help carry?"
The gruffer soldier adds... "Yes. No trouble!"
Sunny seems to come to a decision. She looks over her new found friends and companions. She kneels and gets ready to stand.
"Okeys... I gots an idea..." She rests a comforting hand on her duergar freind's shoulder.
"I'm gon'a call out tha' stupid, bully preist feller ta' Clerical combat." She seems quite firm and sure of herself on this point.
"O'course... while I be doin' that... You see if'n ye can't get them others free an' then we see about turnin' tha' tide, hey?" She smiles reassuringly at the group.
Gordrun glances around the shop and over at the proprietor who is being so rudely evicted. He then turns to the two fellows in red armor and demands "Why are you forcing her to leave? Why are those people being rounded up outside? They aren't being enslaved, are they?"
While saying this Gordrun takes a step back from the men in armor, closer to the green skinned half orc shop owner. He says quietly to her "What is going on here? I just got here and they're pulling people out of their homes."
The gruff orc soldier clenches..."No trouble, no harm."
The other adds... "Helga is in no danger... unless someone makes things more difficult than needed. Now is not the time to ask questions."
He tips his head so his eyes are clearly seen through his helm.
"We will give you time to gather your things."
The gruff one cocks his head, and looks at the other... he reaches for the helm of the polite and well-spoken supposed fellow orc ally. A hair weave and false nose come off with the helm... the gruff orc stands stunned in disbelief, then looks down to the knife in his belly.
Soldiers outside start to approach - hearing the stabbed orc's dying grunts. The one holding the knife - the soldier with the failing disguise, kicks the door shut. He is a half-orc. "We must go quickly... a resistance is already forming, but our leaders are being held to the south. Grab what you can... then out the back door!"
Or my half-orc hero?
Yes. He is the orc chieftain's nephew and courier/procurer, Bar'nash. The handwriting is likely his as well.